State and federal regulations require certain vehicles to have a mud flaps or splash guards located behind vehicle rear wheels. Regulations are particularly directed toward large trucks and dump trucks so that the flaps protect other vehicles from water spray, rocks and like debris from being dispelled from truck rear wheels.
Problems arise when required flaps are incorporated behind the rear wheels of dump trucks having tilting dump beds. Conventional dump truck flaps are rigidly secured to the truck's frame in a low hanging configuration to meet regulation requirements. As an operator travels in reverse toward a dump site, flaps may make undesired contact with previously discharged contents, causing damage to the flaps. Also, as a truck discharges material from the truck storage bed, a pile of discharged material collects at the truck rear. The discharged material may surround the flaps to an extent that trap the flaps within the discharged material pile. Force applied by the truck to disengage the flaps from the pile can damage the flaps, requiring premature flap replacement.
Old systems for actuating vehicle mud flaps that include drive mechanisms such as long wires, drive pistons and the like extending along the bottom of a truck's storage bed. These systems have many moving parts, are difficult to maintain are vulnerable to damage from road debris during truck operation. Malfunction of these old systems present a safety danger as drive mechanism moving parts may become damaged. Damaged mechanisms in turn inflict damage to the vehicle or injure close-by individuals.